You Have to Visit These Cool New Places in Japan
A favorite sushi joint from Sapporo, a tea spot run by two tea sommeliers, an art gallery at Louis Vuitton, and more.
IMAGE TEAMLABEXHIBITION VIEW OF MORI BUILDING DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: TEAMLAB BORDERLESS,2018, ODAIBA, TOKYO© TEAMLAB
A mere four hours away, Tokyo is a vacation hotspot for Filipino tourists. After a few visits, you might fall into the habit of visiting the same haunts. Refresh your Tokyo stay with these new options for your itinerary below:
Espace Louis Vuitton
View this post on Instagram
At the top floor of Louis Vuitton’s shiny flagship store in Omotesando Hills sits a glass box called Espace Louis Vuitton. It was designed by Japanese architect Jun Aoki and discretely serves as an exhibition space for contemporary art. In the past, it’s hosted both local and foreign artists, including some works from the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
Escape Louis Vuitton is located on the seventh floor of Louis Vuitton Omotesando Building, 5-7-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.
Shimokita Chaen Oyama
View this post on Instagram
The two brothers who run this two-story tea place in Shimotazawa are two of four people in Japan who hold the highest ranking of 10 dan tea sommeliers. Shimokita Chaen Oyama consists of a tea room and a café on the upper floor, which is popular among locals during the summertime for its famed Kakigori, a shave iced dessert drizzled with flavored syrup. Theirs comes in three flavors: Matcha, Hojicha, and Matcha Azuki.
Shimokita Chaen Oyama is located on the second floor of Maruwa Center, 30-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo.
Archive Store
View this post on Instagram
There are loads of luxury shops in Shibuya, so it’s easy to miss the Archive Store, an emporium of designer brands, which, of all places, is located at the basement level of a building. Its garments, which come from designers like Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Martin Margiela, and Raf Simons, are carefully hung on each rack like an artwork in its frame. The designers and collections rotate every season so if you’re having second thoughts about a couture piece, it might not be there on your second visit.
Archive Store is located at Wako Building, 1-12-16 Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo.
TeamLab Borderless
IMAGE teamLabExhibition view of MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: teamLab Borderless,2018, Odaiba, Tokyo© teamLab
One of the most-visited museums in Tokyo, TeamLab Borderless, represented by the Pace Gallery at the Mori Building Digital Art Museum, is a hotspot for tourists with families. It provides an interactive take on art and doesn’t confine it to a frame, with digital installations that span from walls to floors. Definitely a must-see when you’re in this part of town.
TeamLab Borderless is located at Mori Building, Koto, Aomi, Tokyo.
Toyosu Tuna Auction
View this post on Instagram
Since the famed Tsukiji Fish Market relocated to a new location last quarter, its new venue in Toyosu is set to open its famed tuna auctions to the public this month. You can either watch the auctions take place from a gallery one floor above the auction area or be right in the middle of the action. If you wish to view the auctions, remember that you have to submit an application form a month before your visit. If you plan to go in 2020, however, a different fish market will take the place of what was once Tsukiji’s inner market after the Olympics is held.
Natsume Nihonbashi
View this post on Instagram
A favorite among the crowd in Sapporo, sushi bar Natsume is now located at the high-foot traffic scene of Nihonbashi. This intimate 38-seater restaurant offers a fixed lunch and dinner set that showcases the best of its perfectly prepared sushi topped with premium cuts of fish.
Natsume Nihonbashi is located on the sixth floor of Nihonbashi Takashiyama, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
Bar High Five
View this post on Instagram
Once again, Bar High Five is one of Tokyo nightlife’s pride and joy and had once again joined the coveted list of the World’s Best Bar, taking the 12th spot. Because of the demand, it’s doubled the size of its basement, making more room for a wider collection of scotch and whisky. At Bar High Five, there is no menu. You’re simply asked for your preferences and the bar staff will magically appear with a libation you’re bound to love.
Bar High Five is located at B/F Efflore Ginza 5 Building, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
This article originally appeared on Town & Country.ph.
Minor edits have been made to this article.
Comments